International poverty is not something that you muscle with tons of money. International poverty must be understood. Poverty must be understood on a personal level. We must recognize a person’s fears and aspirations, and understand that every small improvement helps. Most people who come to St. Lucia to remedy international poverty will end the day wrestling with guilt, having seen the way some of the local residents are forced to live. The stark contrast can be emotionally blinding. Some immediately jump to the conclusion that we waste our money on iPhones and fancy clothes. We do. Some might ask, “Why don’t we donate all our extra cash? Then nobody will suffer from poverty!”A novel idea but lacking some perspective. First off is that is the utopian view of a socialist society. We cannot get everyone to agree to allocate their money to people they don’t know. Second is that there is a huge difference in falling from privilege into the ill-defined “poverty” and starting from poverty.
Having known the crutches, distractions, and amenities that we rely on our everyday lives it is easy to put ourselves into the shoes of someone without all of these “privileges” and say, “look at what they are missing”. Coming from poverty, your thoughts consist of finding your next meal and fixing your roof, so the child that you love and care for can sleep a little deeper come nightfall. Our goal is not to build a three story house with a basement and a flat screen TV, like the one you have back home. Our goal is to give them security like they have never had before, and show them kindness that they might otherwise not experience. It’s amazing how four walls and a roof can provide a smile that can change your life forever.
-Alex Velcier
SNC TRIPS 